Apparatus for marking textile article

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for marking textile articles having a carrier movable between two limiting positions, a roll of label tape and feeding means on the carrier, a stamping device operatively associated with the end of the tape while the carrier is in one of the two limiting positions, and a cutter for the tape and means for applying the marked and cutoff piece of tape to the article while the carrier is in the other of the two limiting positions.

United States Patent Nicolaas Nooder Batavierenweg 120, Nijmegen, Netherlands [21] App1.No. 758,719

[72] Inventor [22] Filed Sept. 10, 1968 [45] Patented Oct. 26, 1971 [32] Priority Sept. 13,1967 [33] Netherlands [31] 6712513 [54] APPARATUS FOR MARKING TEXTILE ARTICLE 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 156/518, 156/277, 156/384 [51] Int.Cl i.B32b31/20, B32b31/10 [50] FieldofSearch 156/277, 384,517,518,521

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,654,496 10/1953 Meyer et a1 156/3 84 2,825,480 3/1958 Braun 156/521 X 3,078,910 2/1963 Smith et a1. 156/517 3,262,831 7/1966 Ziegler et a1 156/384 Primary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner- James M. I-Ianley Attorney-Glascockf Downing, Holman, & Seebold ABSTRACT: An apparatus for marking textile articles having a carrier movable between two limiting positions, a roll of label tape and feeding means on the carrier, 21 stamping device operatively associated with the end of the tape while the carrier is in one of the two limiting positions, and a cutter for the tape and means for applying the marked and cutoff piece of tape to the article while the carrier is :in the other of the two limiting positions.

PATENTEDBBI 26 ml 3,616,086

lnve ntor= M40051, I37 v 1 APPARATUS FOR MARKING TEXTILE ARTICLE Methods sequence marking textiles, and machines for carrying out these methods, are known in very many different forms. For example, spirally wound tape has already been used in order to supply printed, stamped, embroidered or dyed strips of the tape to be attached to articles to be distinguished. The laundry industry particularly requires such labels in order to mark with the name and address of the customer, any articles to be laundered, or to provide the articles with a distinctive number, sequence of letters or code; such labels have to be affixed to the articles in a manner which is resistant to boiling, washing and ironing, while the distinguishing marks themselves must be resistant to the same stresses without running, fading or in any other way losing their distinctiveness.

In one marking method, the individual devices necessary were arranged one after another, either in a line or a circle. One device fed the tape provided for marking, in steps in order to bring it to the articles to be laundered as they were being continuously fed. Another device was necessary to apply the marking code if it was not already present on the tape. Then a separating device was required to cut off portions of tape. Finally, a device was required for affixing the piece of tape to the article concerned.

The disadvantage of such earlier proposals consisted in that the operation of the individual items of apparatus involved relatively great distances between markings on a continuous tape, only one marking at a time being made. Since however sewing machines were used as means for affixing the labels, and since the textiles themselves did not permit long labels to be used, it was necessary to use short lengths of marking tape with long spaces between, and then cut out the material of the spaces as scrap. If the markings had to be changed, or were to appear with serial numbers or letters, the omission or change of individual numbers or letters caused difficulties which could be overcome only by very complex measures. In a later development, the movement of the article to be marked through the machine itself was dispensed with, but the articles were fed individually by hand or automatically; the insertion of an article to be marked started the necessary measures of label tape movement, separating, marking and securing the tape section or label to the article. Simultaneously there occurred a development in the labels themselves, in that the use of adhesive-coated strips of paper was abandoned, and either the label tapes were manufactured from thermoplastic material, or individual thermoplastic threads were incorporated in their structure or they were coated with thermoplastic adhesive. With such labels the thermoplastic material, during simultaneous pressure and raised temperature, were converted from a dry nonadhesive condition to one in which they became powerfully adhesive, and not only applied themselves to the article but partly penetrated the material thereof and thus produced a very powerful adhesion.

In the course of these new developments, it was considered preferable to effect the separation of the tape section used as label, very close to the roll of tape stock. This involved the introduction of grippers which had to feed the other parts of the machine with the previously formed piece of tape. This used machinery which is complicated, expensive and liable to breakdowns; these disadvantages can be avoided by preparing the piece of tape just before the application to the article to be marked, and then separating it from the supply of tape. In other cases it was forgotten, in the earlier models, that sequentially different markings might be required, and therefore it must be possible to step a counting and printing mechanism between articles so that the labels appear with numbers increasing by one each time; thus the days production of a firm manufacturing shirts can be recorded and a check provided to ensure that no shirt has been removed from the current series.

It is the object of the present invention to provide apparatus for carrying out a method of marking articles by using portions of a roll of tape. providing them with changing markings and affixing them to articles. During a marking operation a roll of tape is moved, with its end portion still connected to the roll,

into a position serving to effect the marking operation, the portion of tape to be marked is unwound from the roll and the portion is marked, whereupon, during a return movement the tape supply the already marked portion of tape is brought into position near the article, then the portion of tape is separated from the roll and affixed to the article. It is immaterial whether the to-and-fro movements take place in a straight line or on a curve, over an arc; in the first case slides and slide guides are necessary, and in the second case, swiveling is necessary, so that a swiveling shaft is required.

The machine suitable for carrying out the above-mentioned method has a carrier moveable between two limiting positions, and a roll of label tape to be fed, marked and affixed to articles with which, in one limiting position, a device is associated, preferably adjustable, serving to mark a portion of tape, and in the second limiting position, there is another device for separating the marked portion from the supply and for affixing the cutoff portion to the article.

Details of a machine suitable for carrying out the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention shown in the starting position which may be regarded as one of the limit positions;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the second limit position of the machine;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the support and feeder of the roll of tape and the marking devices, shown in the direction of the arrow I in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an opposite view, in the direction of arrow l of FIG. 2, of the supporting and feeding device. and of the separating and connecting device.

As may be seen from the figures, a machine constructed in accordance with the present invention has three main parts, all mounted on a common baseplate also designated by arrow I. A first carrier or part which supports the tape roll supply and feeds the tape to the other parts is indicated in general by 2, a marking device or part by 3 and a separating and connecting device or part by 4.

The carrier 2 is connected by means of a swivel shaft 5 to an electromagnetically or motor driven transmission gear (not shown), a program switch (not shown), being provided so that at the beginning only of an otherwise automatic operating sequence, a starter in the form of a microswitch is actuated which changes from the switch-off to the switch-on position a garment to be labeled is inserted in the machine.

The carrier 2 comprises a strip 21 which extends parallel to the baseplate l and has an arm 22. The end of the arm 22 carries a pin 23 on which a spool 6 is rotatable, the spool carrying a supply of tape 7 in the form of a roll H, for producing labels. A roller 24 guides the tape 7 to a guide passage 25 which is supported by the strip 21 and on which tape feed rollers 26, 27 are mounted. For this purpose the upper and lower walls of the passage 25 have slotlike recesses which are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 through which feed rollers 26, 27 project so as to contact the tape and feed it forward.

A shaft 5 carries a driving disc 51 located below the strip 21. A belt 52 passes round the drive disc SI. One end of the belt is secured to an abutment 53, while the other end engages an arm 28 of the feed roller 27. The feed roller 27 has a freewheel arrangement (not shown) comprising rollers cooperating with an inclined surface so that, when the carrier 2 moves from the position shown in FIG. 1 to that of FIG. 2 the swivel shaft 5 and the driving disc 51 rotate in a. clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4, while in a movement in the opposite direction, the freewheel operates; feeding of the tape 7 in a direction from left to right as seen in FIG. 4, occurs. Ac cordingly a portion of tape 72 projects beyond the mouth of the passage 25 after a portion 73 already marked, has been cut off and affixed to an article to be marked. FIGS. 1 and 2 show that a return spring 29 engages the arm 28 and returns it to the starting position while the roller 27 freewheels.

The shaft 5 and all the devices are shown in their starting positions in FIG. 1 so that the centerline of the tape 7 coincides with the centerline of the marking device 3. As shown in FIG. 3, marking device 3 is provided with a number of marking discs 32 and an inking ribbon 33 on a spool 34, these parts being arranged on a plate 35. The individual marking wheels 32 can be set by an adjusting lever 36 by hand, or according to a predetermined program. For this purpose electro-magnets (not shown) are used which are connected to the adjusting lever 36, the electromagnets being controlled by a switch mechanism operating dependently on an introduced program such as a punched card. The drive of the ink ribbon 33 is obtained from the swivel shaft 5, the transmission means including the parts 52, 53, 27, 28, 29. Electromagnets or motors may provide the drive, control of the latter being included in the program ifrequired.

FIG. 2 shows the second limiting position into which the parts connected to the shaft 5 move when the shaft has swiveled through approximately 45. In the second limiting position the centerline through the supporting and feeding device 2 coincides with the centerline of the separating and connecting device 4.

In the second limiting position shown in FIG. 2, upper and lower stamping parts 41, 42 are disposed opposite the carrier 2 for the spool 6 and the tape 7; the upper stamp carries a cutter or scissors beam 43, which follows the movements of the driven upper stamp 41. Associated with the upper cutter is another cutter or scissors beam 44 which is resiliently pressed against the first cutter 43. As soon as the upper stamp 41 begins to move, the already-marked tape portion 73 of the tape 7 is cut off. The portion 72 which is not yet marked, moved during the swivel movement out of the second limiting position shown in FIG. 2 into the first limiting position shown in FIG. I, i.e. it is fed on by one portion, into the end position 73 of FIG. 1 under the marking wheels 32, according to the position shown on the left of FIG. 3.

The upper stamp 41 has a heating device consisting of electrically heated wires inside the stamp. When the stamps 41, 42 come together with the label 73 and the article between them, the label is affixed by heat to the article.

If the machine is out of operation, the devices 2, 3 and 4 remain in the initial limiting or starting position shown in FIG. 1. The marking device 3 is disposed opposite the mouth of the guide passage 25. A portion of tape is already disposed beneath the marking wheels 32 and is either marked or unmarked according to the time the last preceding operation ceased. In the first case, marking takes places immediately after the resumption of the operation of forming a label 73; in the second case swiveling begins from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 in which the finished label 73 is cut off and immediately subjected to the action of the stamps 41, 42 so that the finished label is presented upon the introduction of the article which actuates the microswitch. Meanwhile, the marking discs 32 have already been changed to their position for the next marking operation, either by hand or automatically, and the ink ribbon 33 has been stepped up so that a legible marking is ensured.

As soon as the upper and lower stamps have separated during the process, the supporting and feeding device is automatically swiveled to the position shown in FIG. 1. The cable 19 is tensioned so that the driving disc 27 is turned and another portion 72 is moved to the position 73 and prepared for marking when the position shown in FIG. 1 is reached. The cycle is recommenced, with the result that, starting from the first limiting position shown in FIG. 1, the second limiting position shown in FIG. 2 is reached, at the end of which another article has received a label, with a changed marking if required.

The stamp 42 is shown only schematically and its spring loading only indicated since its actual construction does not come within the scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. A machine for marking articles comprising a carrier movable between two positions; a stampin device associated with the end of said tape in one position 0 said carrier; and a cutter for said tape, and means for applying a marked and cut off piece of tape to an article in the other position of said carri- 2. The machine of claim 1 further including a swivel shaft for said carrier.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal centerlines of said marking, separating and affixing devices form an acute angle, the apex of which lies on an axis about which said carrier is mounted so as to swivel.

4. The machine of claim 2, further including movement transmitting members extending between said swivel shaft for said carrier and said feed means for the tape.

5. The machine of claim 4, wherein said movement transmitting members comprise a driving disc arranged on said swivel shaft, a freewheel and traction means engaged with said driving disc, one end of said freewheel means being fixed to said machine, while the other end is pivotably connected to said driving disc.

6. The machine of claim 4 further including movement transmitting members disposed between said swivel shaft and an inking ribbon of said stamping device.

7. The machine of claim 1 further including a pair of printing stamps on said cutter device with one movable and one spring-loaded stamp, said movable stamp carrying a knife or scissor blade.

8. The machine of claim 7 further comprising a heating device on at least one stamp of said pair of printing stamps. 

2. The machine of claim 1 further including a swivel shaft for said carrier.
 3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal centerlines of said marking, separating and affixing devices form an acute angle, the apex of which lies on an axis about which said carrier is mounted so as to swivel.
 4. The machine of claim 2, further including movement transmitting members extending between said swivel shaft for said carrier and said feed means for the tape.
 5. The machine of claim 4, wherein said movement transmitting members comprise a driving disc arranged on said swivel shaft, a freewheel and traction means engaged with said driving disc, one end of said freewheel means being fixed to said machine, while the other end is pivotably connected to said driving disc.
 6. The machine of claim 4 further including movement transmitting members disposed between said swivel shaft and an inking ribbon of said stamping device.
 7. The machine of claim 1 further including a pair of printing stamps on said cutter device with one movable and one spring-loaded stamp, said movable stamp carrying a knife or scissor blade.
 8. The machine of claim 7 further comprising a heating device on at least one stamp of said pair of printing stamps. 